Professional Education
Loss Lessons: Practicing Out of Bounds
Unlicensed staff are vital to efficient patient flow in medical practice. Healthcare organizations have many tasks that are safely and effectively carried out by skilled unlicensed support staff every day. To reach such efficiencies with safety and reliability, careful attention must be given to scope of practice and state and local statutes regarding delegation and supervision. Policies and protocols that outline the scope of practice for unlicensed staff to follow independently, and when they must consult with licensed staff, help even the most talented of your staff understand their boundaries. This case illustrates how informal verbal guidelines can blur the lines and cause well-meaning staff to cross the boundary lines of their scope leading to misdiagnosis and death.
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Nonadherent and Noncompliant Patients: Overcoming Barriers
Nonadherent or noncompliant patient conduct (whether intentional or inadvertent) can adversely affect clinical outcomes, undermine the practitioner-patient relationship, and disrupt the operation of practice.
Health Insurance Reform Could Lead to Patient Abandonment: Why the Silence?
Will Washington cancel coverage for millions of patients and unleash a tidal wave of litigation on the U.S. healthcare system? I challenge leaders in healthcare and government to address this question.
Cognitive Assessments in Primary Care: Preparation and Tools May Mitigate Diagnosis Risks
As practices care for the increase in older patients and take advantage of the CMS billing rules, successfully integrating cognitive evaluations into a practice’s workflow without magnifying liability risks takes some preparation.
Chairman's Library
Richard E. Anderson, MD, FACP, Chairman and CEO of The Doctors Company, is the author of a number of peer-reviewed publications on medical malpractice and the impact of defensive medicine.
Dec 13, 2022
Increased Risks of Delayed Care Post-Roe: Clinician Perspectives
In the wake of the Dobbs decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade, rapid changes in hospital protocols have at times amplified confusion over what is legally allowed when responding to ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, or other obstetric complications. Clinicians in some states may feel pinned between their obligation to care for the patient and their obligation not to break the law.
2025 Legislative Update
Most states adjourned their 2025 regular legislative sessions mid-year. A handful of states remain in regular session and a smattering of states have returned or are expected to convene special sessions to address budget and other issues. While the pace of legislation activity has slowed, TDC Group’s Government Relations team continues to advocate on pending legislation, prepare with coalitions for the 2026 legislative sessions, and engage in key judicial actions warranting an amicus curiae voice.
February 26, 2025, STAT News
Are We Adopting AI Scribes Based on…Vibes?
This article examines AI-driven scribe technologies and their marketing claims. It also cites the article "Ambient Listening–Legal and Ethical Issues," in which I. Glenn Cohen, JD; Julie Ritzman, MBA, CPHRM; and Richard F. Cahill, JD, provide a comprehensive analysis of the legal and ethical considerations associated with the use of ambient listening technologies in healthcare settings.
Increasing APC Responsibilities Lead to New Care Models: How TDC Group Provides Support
In a time of worsening physician shortages, new approaches to primary care, home care, and elder care are essential. Thoughtful structuring of care teams can assist many specialties in maintaining or expanding access to care while containing costs, relieving burdens for physicians, and continuing to provide high-quality and attentive care. Learn more about these new care models and how TDC Group provides support from Laura Kline, Senior Vice President of Business Development for TDC Group.
Video May 22, 2024
What Is Social Inflation?
Healthcare practices and institutions are affected by the same economic forces that impact the communities and business climates in which they operate. Social inflation has reshaped numerous markets, but its effect on healthcare has been monumental. But what exactly is social inflation? Robert White, President of The Doctors Company and TDC Group and industry-leading expert on the impact of social inflation on medical professional liability, explains in this short clip.
